Banks County, Georgia
Banks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,395. The county seat is Homer. The Old Banks County Courthouse is located in Homer, Georgia and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A newer county courthouse was constructed in 1983 History Banks County was established in 1858. It was named for Dr. Richard E. Banks. *The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation to create Banks County on February 1, 1859, from Franklin and Habersham Counties. *Ty Cobb, a Baseball Hall of Famer, was born in Banks County in 1886 in an area of the county knows as The Narrows - a small farming community consisting of fewer than 100 people. The area and birthplace are on State Highway 105 in the northern part of the county near the Broad River. *The legal organ for the county is The Banks County News, a member of Mainstreet News, Inc. *One of the county's oldest church sites is the Hebron Presbyterian Church, established in 1796. *Banks County is the home of the Atlanta Dragway, located near Banks Crossing. *Also known for being the home of the former World's largest Easter Egg Hunt. (The 50th annual egg hunt in 2009 was the finale.) Law and government The County's commission is made up of a five-member group, with one being the Chairman of the Commission and four districts. * Jimmy Hooper is the Commission Chairman. (Elected) * David Duckett, Charles Turk, Danny Maxwell and Sammy Reece are the other commissioners representing Districts 1-4. (Elected) * The Sheriff is Carlton Speed. (Elected) * The Coroner is Bobby Eubanks. (Elected) * The Probate Judge is Betty Thomas. (Elected) * The Clerk of Court is Timothy Harper. (Elected) * The Magistrate Judge is Ivan Mote. (Elected) * The Fire Chief is Robert Wilkins. * E-911 Director is Deidra Moore. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Major highways * Interstate 85 * U.S. Route 441 * State Route 15 * State Route 51 * State Route 52 * State Route 59 * State Route 63 * State Route 98 * State Route 105 * State Route 164 * State Route 184 * State Route 198 * State Route 323 * State Route 326 * State Route 403 (hidden designation for I-85) Adjacent counties *Habersham County - north *Stephens County - northeast *Madison County - southeast *Jackson County - south *Hall County - west *Franklin County - east National protected area * Chattahoochee National Forest (part) Demographics 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} As of the census of 2000, there were 14,422 people, 5,364 households, and 4,162 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 5,808 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.16% White, 3.22% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.96% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 3.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,364 households out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.40% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% were non-families. 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,523, and the median income for a family was $43,136. Males had a median income of $29,986 versus $21,698 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,424. About 9.80% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over. Education Communities *Alto *Baldwin *Gillsville *Homer *Lula (partly in Hall County) *Maysville See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in Banks County, Georgia References External links *GeorgiaInfo.com Banks County History *[http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/tdgh-oct/oct23.htm This Day in Georgia History:October 23, Ed Jackson and Charly Pou, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia] *History information from Official Banks County website *Ty Cobb Bio on visitnortheastgeorgia.com *National Baseball Hall of Fame Ty Cobb Bio *Mainstreet Newspapers Category:Banks County, Georgia Category:1859 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Settlements established in 1859 Category:Counties of Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Counties of Appalachia